English Heritage has announced that a team of Ney & Partners and UK-based William Matthews Associates has won the Tintagel Castle Bridge Design Competition. Chosen from a shortlist of 6 proposals, from among 136 entries, the winning design was selected by the majority of the jury.
The site of Tintagel Castle is one of English Heritage’s most spectacular, attracting over 200,000 visitors annually. It is “inextricably linked to the legend of King Arthur and has been prized throughout history for its elemental qualities and spirit of place within this area of outstanding natural beauty.” The new bridge is commissioned for approximately £4 million and will stand 28m higher than the current crossing.
Inspired by the original drawbridges of Tintagel Castle and Celtic history, the winning proposal brings together two cantilevers with a slight gap between them--recreating the land-link that formerly bridged the mainland and headland, while referencing the current void caused by erosion. The material palette involves local slate for the decking and contrasts of weathered and non-weathered steel to create ephemeral plays of sunlight and a harmony with the surrounding coastal landscape.
Laurent Ney, managing director of Ney and Partners, said, “We are absolutely delighted to win the competition. We believe the experience of visiting Tintagel Castle is all about discovery and revelation, so it is important to us that our bridge lets the majesty of the site do the talking, that it is not too intrusive.”
Development of the design will now commence in advance of consent applications later in the year. The project is expected to be completed by 2019.
See the initial shortlisted entries here.
